Big businessman and little fisherman

Chapter 77 Garrison
Lu Quan's voice was a little deep, and it made people chill for no reason at this dawn when the sky had just turned white.
"The rebel army over there in Huaicheng heard that there was movement. Huaicheng is only more than 100 miles away from us. According to the calculation of shopkeeper Li, the rebel army will take action at the end of August."

The three big men squatted quietly on the bow of the boat, talking in a low voice, and did not disturb the people on the other boats.

Li Sixi didn't understand: "Why is it the end of August?"

Brother Zhang San is much smarter than Li Sixi: "It's because the grain can be harvested at the beginning of August. Even if it is later, every family's grain should be put into the warehouse at the end of the month. The public grain that should be paid has also been paid, right?"

The insurgents were all poor people, and the reason why they revolted was because they had no food to eat.

The government is different, they have a natural sense of superiority, if the government can't beat them and retreat to the capital, they will definitely not leave the food they are about to get to the rebels.

When the time comes, light a fire in the field, these officers and soldiers are like bandits, they won't care about the life and death of the common people below at all
Lu Quan nodded his head and sighed lowly: "Yes, the rebel army also needs food. Fight now, and the food in that field will be ruined!"

"Isn't there a garrison in Nanyang?"

Li Sixi moved his body and got closer, "Nanyang's city walls are so high, and there are thousands of garrisons. Even if those rebels come here, they won't be able to seize Nanyang."

However, the rebel army could not pass through Nanyang, and they all had to pass through Honghu Lake. Although Jiangjiaba was on the side, it might not be safe.

When it comes to the garrison in Nanyang County, Brother Zhang knows something: "I heard that some of the Nanyang garrison went to the capital, and some stayed in Nanyang. Those who stayed in Nanyang didn't all stay in the city, they were all sent out..."

Seeing that both Lu Quan and Li Sixi were looking at him, Zhang Sancai explained in a low voice: "They were all sent out to suppress bandits. They said they were suppressing bandits, but in fact they were stealing big households. Hey, you said that we poor people have a hard time, why are those big households Are you having a bad day?"

Lu Quan's expression became more and more ugly: "So the big households in Dongyang County ransacked their homes and ran away. Even shopkeeper Li is going to leave. It seems that the rebel army is really coming."

"But it's all fighting, and Yangzhou is not safe."

Li Sixi scratched his head fiercely. No matter how unsafe Yangzhou is, it is safer than Jiangjiaba. Jiangjiaba is on the main road for the rebel army to go to the capital.

"Should we buy grain now? Can't we wait?" Li Sixi was still a little unwilling.

Can we wait any longer? When the autumn harvest comes, the price of food will definitely drop.

Although the current food price is not as high as last year, it is not cheap either. In the past, a catty of brown rice cost 25 renminbi, but now it costs [-] renminbi.

With the new grain, brown rice and old rice must be cheaper.

Lu Quan gritted his teeth, as if bleeding from his heart: "I'm afraid that if the rebel army fights, the price of food will rise instead of falling. The government is not a fool, so they won't care about the lives of the people. If they know that the rebel army will move after the autumn harvest, You said they would still leave food for the rebels?"

"No wonder they want to raid big households now." Zhang San gritted his teeth, "This group of beasts don't have the ability to defend the city, so they know the common people."

"So we need to buy food?"

Lu Quan took a cautious look at the movement nearby before he opened his mouth, "If the rebel army comes, we will run away regardless of whether we can beat it or not. Our dozen or so families will find a wild lake swinger and tie them together by boat, three by one. There is no problem in five months. When things settle down, no matter who is in charge, they must give the common people a way to survive. At that time, we will come back."

This is why those who sail are more convenient than those who farm. If they really want to run, it is more convenient to have a boat than to run on two legs.

Of course, the prerequisite is to have enough food.

Li Sixi looked at Lu Quan, then at Third Brother Zhang, and suddenly hugged his head and cried, "Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

The following words were drowned out by crying, which made Lu Quan and Zhang San feel sad for a while.

When the rebel army came, they wanted to flee, even if the government came, they might have to flee.

If he didn't escape and was conscripted by the government, he would probably die again.

Like Lu Quan and Chen Pingan, there is only one strong laborer in the family. If they are conscripted, the remaining old and weak women and children will probably be waiting to die.

Like Li Sixi and Zhang San's family, although the son is already half a child, who is willing to let his son die?

In the eyes of outsiders, those who sailed and fished had a lower status than those who farmed. They had no house or land, and their income was precarious.In the previous dynasty, fishermen belonged to the low class, and it was impossible to go ashore to buy land and build houses after earning money.

Fishing for a lifetime, fishing for generations.

In the area of ​​Honghu Lake, because the water and land transportation is very developed, people with land near the water will also buy a boat to earn some foot money or some pocket money by fishing in their spare time.

When the days were good a few years ago, there were not a few families with fields and boats.

Just like Lu Quan, Zhang San, and Li Sixi, they used to have land, houses and boats, but the land and houses were flooded, and they could only live by fishing boats, but they were not fishermen.But people like them who are not real fishermen also have to pay taxes. They have to pay taxes and do hard labor.

In order not to become a member of the untouchables for future generations, they dare not give up their current status even if they sell their sons and daughters.

This is why the Qiu family has been thinking of going ashore to buy a house and land.

Not only the Qiu family, there are dozens of fishing boats in Honghu Lake, and every family wants to go ashore to farm, and they no longer want to make a living by fishing.

Early in the morning, the fishermen at the pier got the news.

After finishing this batch of eel cages, this batch will not be made. This batch of eel cages is almost enough to fill two boats. When the time comes, I will go with Shopkeeper Li's family.

As for whether or not to do eel cage business in the future, it will probably not be decided until next spring.

Everyone had just earned some extra money, and suddenly heard that the eel cage business was about to stop, and immediately fell into confusion.

Why not do it?
Fishing business is not easy to do in summer. Fish will die easily out of water, and they will stink quickly.

In spring and autumn, if the fish can't be sold, you can pickle salted fish, and then sell it to the dry goods store in the town, and you can buy some copper coins.

In summer, fish that cannot be sold are either eaten, given away, or thrown away, and dead fish and shrimps cannot be left to rot on the boat.

Autumn is better, but autumn is so short, and winter will come soon...

Why did the days I was looking forward to just now suddenly disappear?

Lu Yange stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the people talking on the river bank.

It can be clearly seen that the spirit of the previous period seems to have suddenly dissipated.

Everyone started to discuss a few words, why not make eel cages, and why shopkeeper Li returned to Yangzhou.

Slowly, the sound became less and less.

Now, almost no one is talking, and everyone is busy making eel cages against the clock.

You know, if you make more horned eel cages, you can get more copper coins.

With more copper coins, the family can buy more food.

(End of this chapter)